Fire Eaters
The magistrates went to the Crab Caves in force in order to confront the Fire Eaters. Finding their headquarters in the back of a noodle shop they confronted their leader, Bigger. Despite Ichiro Bando cowing most of the members, Bigger remained defiant claiming to have no knowledge of the attack on Akodo. After repeatedly insulting Akodo, he snapped and attacked Bigger, beating him quite badly with his tessen. Enduring the blows, Bigger attempted to leave to deal with a fire before being stopped by Mirumoto Tetsuzae who arrested and brought him into custody at the Civil Hall with Kasuga Osamu.
Fighting Fire with Firemen
While Mirumoto and Kasuga took Bigger back to the Civil Hall Akodo and Ichiro rushed in the direction of the fire: a small warehouse by the docks. While Akodo helped organize a bucket brigade to quell the flames Ichiro joined the Fire Eaters in helping to pull down part of the building to create a fire break. Both noticed feeling decidedly light-headed and out of it after the experience.
Good Cop, Badger Cop
After interrogating Bigger, a tentative deal was reached to ally against the Moment's Edge Firemen. He stated that he would attempt to get his men to leave the matter as settled, but owing to the largely independent nature of the organization was unable to make any guarantees.
Missing Opium
A clerk alerted the magistrates that opium that had been being stored at Civil Hall after being confiscated by Emerald Magistrates was found to have gone missing. He noticed that it seemed to be reduced in quantity and comparing the existing amount to what was recorded confirmed the discrepancy.
Pawn Shop
A single piece was found at a pawn shop in the Two Gates neighborhood of the Merchant Quarter, near the Gate of Increasing Fortune: a small but lavishly decorated chest. The owner was quite cooperative and voluntarily parted with the item, having purchased it for quite a low price of only two koku. He stated that it was sold to him by a man with a scar over his right eye. The drawers appeared to have been pried at despite not having locks. Inside was found a scroll thanking the magistrates for their donation. It seemed to be on a paper made out of some sort of leaf that was unknown.
In The Pit
Leatherworkers in the Noble Quarter suggested speaking to Shokukuin, a local leader in the Leatherworker community among those who haul refuse, the kageshiru. He directed them to the men who had sold the collection route.
While he didn't know of any kageshiru who seemed to have come into wealth recently or were going missing during work, he did know of two young women who didn't fit in as well as others and might vaguely fit those descriptions:
Genki is a generally good girl, but she’s a bit clumsy with the enthusiasm of someone several years younger. Unlike a lot of the Leatherworkers she hasn’t been beaten down by life yet and still has the optimism of a child who hasn’t yet learned how the world works. She brings him all manner of broken “treasures” that he still rarely has the heart to tell her are almost never worth what he sells them for; several he even fixes for free when he can tell she wants it for herself more than the money. She keeps entertaining fantasies about how her life is going to change that she will enthusiastically tell him while he works:
- A handsome samurai will catch a fleeting glimpse of her on the street in the Noble Quarter and fall madly in love with her.
- She’ll find some valuable bauble that was thrown away, sell it, and use the money to become a merchant in a far-off town.
- After helping an injured fox it will turn out to be a kitsune who teaches her a magic spell that allows her to defeat a wicked oni and be rewarded by the emperor himself.
- After helping an injured crane a beautiful man will appear and become her husband before mysteriously producing fabulous silks in secret.
- Off in the mountains she encounters and helps a dragon who then shows up as a cute girl who insists on being her maid and living with her.
Yumeko has always been kind of scatterbrained and off in her own world. True to her name she seemed to spend much of her time daydreaming. Lately she’s undergone a pretty profound change. She’s far more confident now while not having lost her spacey, otherworldly quality.
Visiting Genki
Genki claimed to have no knowledge of the thefts. Searching her home failed to uncover any obvious hiding place. While she was being questioned a small monkey ran out and down the street. Chasing it down, Genki identified it as her pet, Hiccup. She had found it injured in a crushed basket about three years, nursed it back to health, and has kept it as a pet since. Arrested and brought in on one charge of being a monkey.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
The Leatherworkers who were paid for their route were found at a sake house. Buying off a route isn’t an especially uncommon thing among them. In this case it was a two-man crew who commonly work the area, although many of the routes in the Noble Quarter are hotly contested. After taking the payment they spent the day celebrating their good fortune in a sake house in the Fisherman Quarter and have little memory of the rest of it.One unusual detail is that the cart already appeared half-full when the men buying the route showed up. Seemingly there would be no way they could complete the route while collecting enough to make it worth what they paid. It was also noted that one of them was wearing riding boots, which seemed unusual. Most of the Leatherworkers wear either rough straw sandals or geta.
The Dragon Gate
Checking with the guards at the Dragon's Gate it was noticed that two men showed up with a cart early on the morning in question. The guard on duty noted that one of them had a long scar running down the side of his face over his right eye. He had a hard look to him that reminded him of his time serving in the army, not like the downtrodden look of most Leatherworkers. He recorded his name as “Saburo”.